Dear Members and Colleagues,

The 102^nd Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition brought chemists from across Florida and the Southeast back to Innisbrook for a weekend that recalled the meetings many of us remember from before the pandemic: full rooms, lively conversations at the posters, and a program that stretched from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. The FL-ACS Executive Committee and FAME Committee are pleased to report strong participation this year, with 105 posters across two evening sessions, 88 technical oral presentations, and 5 featured presentations.

FAME opened Friday evening with a welcome and plenary lecture by Prof. Lisa McElwee-White of the University of Florida, Distinguished Professor and Colonel Allen R. and Margaret G. Crow Professor of Chemistry. Her talk, “Ru three ways with a side of Pt,” drew on her group’s work in the mechanism-based design of organometallic precursors for thin films and nanostructures—an interdisciplinary blend of organic, inorganic, and materials chemistry that set a high standard for the science that followed.

The lecture flowed into a lively poster session and reception. Students, faculty, and industry chemists mixed over refreshments, exchanging results, ideas, and methods across the full range of chemistry on the program.

Prof. Lisa McElwee-White (University of Florida) delivers the plenary lecture

On Saturday afternoon, following a full morning of technical talks, the section presented the 2026 Florida Award to Dr. Steven A. Benner of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution (FfAME) and the Westheimer Institute of Science and Technology (TWIST) in Alachua.

Benner’s laboratory was the first to synthesize a gene encoding an enzyme and later constructed DNA systems with more than four nucleotide letters, thereby expanding the genetic alphabet. He helped establish the field of paleogenetics and has been a leading voice in astrobiology and the chemical origins of life. He founded FfAME and TWIST and has contributed technology used in diagnostics and biotechnology. A Fellow of AAAS and of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life, he is also the author of Life, the Universe, and the Scientific Method.

On Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Florida Showcase Symposium—revived and organized by George Christou (University of Florida)—highlighted senior members of the section and the breadth of their research. The invited lectures were:

Professor Raphael G. Raptis, Florida International University — Exploring the Carboxylato-Pyrazolato Structural Parallel and Accessing New Redox-Modified States of Multinuclear Transition Metal Complexes

Professor Kristina (Kicki) Håkansson, Florida State University — Sulfur as a Source of Dark Matter in Proteomics: Roles of Mass Accuracy and Fragmentation Pathways

Professor Stephen Kuebler, University of Central Florida —Laser-Based Nanoscale 3D Printing

At the Sunday awards and local-section meeting, FL-ACS recognized ACS members with 50 or more years of service. Stan Seelig (FL-ACS Alternate Councilor) was present for the official recognition. Joseph Ortiz (Auburn University) joined the group for a special dinner on Saturday evening and received his award on Sunday morning.

The dinner was made possible by a grant that Seelig secured from the ACS Senior Chemists Committee. Guests included members of the FL-ACS Executive Committee and organizing committee who were present at FAME, along with Ortiz, his wife, Seelig, and George Christou.

Guests at the 50+ Year Member Recognition Dinner

Lauren Gledhill accepts her poster award from FL-ACS Treasurer Ashlyn Hale

The Friday and Saturday evening poster sessions were among the busiest parts of the meeting. Our thanks go to the judges who undertook the challenging task of selecting this year’s winners:

High School Student

Aksh Ladegaonkar (International Baccalaureate and Barrow High School)

Undergraduate Students

Jason Abboud (University of Florida)

Lauren Gledhill (University of North Florida)

Graduate Students

Kyle Morgan (University of Florida)

Sarriah Hassoun (Florida State University)

Mariami Shvelidze (University of Florida)

Postdoctoral Researcher

Bruna Gomes Maciel (Florida A&M University)

Congratulations to the awardees, and thanks to every presenter, judge, and organizer who made the sessions a success.

FAME 2026 came together through the dedicated work of volunteers and the executive committee, who made the meeting a rewarding experience for students, faculty, industry colleagues, and fellow ACS members.

Save the date: FAME 2027 returns to Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, September 24–26, 2027.

With thanks,
The ACS Florida Local Section Executive Committee